Rich Hofmann

DAILY NEWS SPORTS EDITOR

Rich Hofmann arrived at the Daily News in 1980 for a job whose status was officially designated as "full-time, temporary." A senior at Penn at the time, he was hired to fill in on the copy desk during a staff illness. The notion of him covering the Eagles or being a columnist did not exist in anyone's imagination. It was supposed to be six weeks and out, but he never left. It is only one of the reasons why so many people have concerns about him as a potential house guest.

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Maybe it was going to be like this anyway -- I can't tell anymore, and I'm starting not to trust my instincts on this one. But with the big quarterback do-si-do now underway, all eyes are now fixed on Andy Reid.

Like I said, maybe this was always going to be a part of the endgame. We haven't had one of these in such a long time that I can't really remember. Because, 10 years ago, Ray Rhodes was a lame duck for an entire season before being let go. Prior to that, Rich Kotite was a lame duck for an entire season, Jeffrey Lurie's first season as owner, before he was sent away. It has been a long, long time since any of us weren't sure about the head coach with five games remaining in a season. But here we are.

I am in the municipal minority because I think Reid should be back next year. I am as aware of his faults as anybody but I also am aware of the good side. He has not done a good job this season with what he has had to work with, and that is his fault. But he also is saddled right now with a self-destructing quarterback/star and a one-legged running back/star. Even if he had better managed his roster -- and he should have, and that is on him as the king of personnel -- this was going to be hard.

All of that said, I am neither blind nor deaf. I can hear what people are saying and I can see this football team crumbling. I can see that 108-yard interception return by the Ravens' Ed Reed and see the effort that was not there in trying to tackle him. That right there might have been the most alarming 15 seconds of the season.

With that, Kevin Kolb again takes a seat and Donovan McNabb returns at quarterback. At 5-5-1, Reid will play this out now after the failed benching of Sunday. But, in an odd way, by highlighting the quarterback position he has kind of removed it from the calculation. This isn't about the QB now. This is about the coach.

Like I said, I think Reid should be back. I think he should be given a shot with Kolb. Somebody else should pick the players, but this is a demonstrated skill possessed by Reid -- developing a young quarterback -- and the Eagles should not forget that. Right now, I don't think they will. But if this team rolls over, well...

So that's the only thing you watch for -- effort and professionalism on the field and in a crisis. That is what you watch for -- that, and how it reflects on the head coach.